There are some great articles this weekend, including some pieces from people I haven't linked to in a while. Happy reading!

Baron Fig Apprentice. In addition to my review of the Baron Fig Vanguard notebooks yesterday, Jenny from the Finer Point reviews the "Pocket" size (formerly known as the Apprentice).

Pens for Beginners. Retailer Goldspot lists their top five pens for beginners, plus a couple for "risk takers". Some interesting choices on this list....

The Handwritten Draft. Pete Denison wrote this excellent piece on the advantages (and disadvantages, to be fair) of introducing handwriting into your workflow. I usually find that the posts for which I handwrite the initial first draft, or at least develop a detailed outline on paper, are much more streamlined and to the point.

Bookblock/Monsieur Notebooks. Andy Welfle at Woodclinched offers his take on the Bookblock/Monsieur customizable notebook, for which he was a Kickstarter backer. His is one of the more complex designs that I've seen on their custom notebooks, and he had some issues.

Using What You Love. Mike Dudek has this great piece on why you should use those pens that bring you joy. Use what you like, not what you think someone else thinks you should be using. This is YOUR hobby, after all.

Blogtacular. Tessa at All Thing Stationery attended the Blogtacular conference in London recently, and talks about her experiences there.

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Fresh Stock Japan. A new entry to the stationery scene, Fresh Stock Japan focuses on importing Japanese goods from brands that can be difficult to find in the United States, such as Craft Design Technologies and Midori.

Kustom Haus. Kustom Haus specializes in wax seal stamps, so it's the one-stop shop for all your wax seal supplies. This is one aspect of the stationery obsession I haven't personally tried yet, but you know I will eventually.

Dudek Modern Goods. If you haven't already, you should head on over to Dudek Modern Goods and check out his handmade wooden pen holders and pen rests.

Unicom Ultra Classic Mechanical Keyboard. If you're more interested the old buckling spring-style keyboards, this is the modern version of the IBM "Model M" keyboard many of us grew up with. The deal's not great (a few bucks off), but I'll throw it up here anyway.

Corsair K70 with Cherry MX Blues. If you're looking for a full-size mechanical keyboard that offers good value, this Corsair K70 with Cherry MX Blue Switches is what I use at work. Nice price via Amazon right now, and Prime Eligible.

Platinum 3776 with Medium Nib. Enough about keyboards (at least for now). If you listed to this week's Pen Addict episode, Brad and Myke discussed Platinum nibs, and how they feature the same nib used in Nakaya fountain pens. If you're on the fence about splurging on a Nakaya, and don't have a way to try them out first (such as getting to one of the major pen shows), you can often find great deals on certain models of Platinum 3776, including this Bourgogne Demonstrator.

Sailor Ink Deals. There continue to be some good deals on certain colors of Sailor ink, including Yama Dori (a dark teal) and Miruai (a dark green).

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Issue 4 of Digital Divide contains my thoughts on "What Digital Does Better," because, at least IMHO, you shouldn't use analog tools just for the sake of using analog tools, but only when they truly are the thing that works best for you for a specific task. "Digital Divide" is my monthly newsletter devoted to discussing the divide between the "digital" and "analog" parts of our lives, the benefits of making time for analog tools and workflows, and why people draw the line where they do. If you're interested in subscribing, please use the link on the blog sidebar.

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